Astro Park: Saved!

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

We began the journey to keep Astro Park open, green and unfenced in December of 2010. That journey officially ended yesterday, August 5th, 2014.

Astro Park is…saved. And it could not have been done without you, without all of you.

Whether it was a chat at the park where you signed up to be on this list, the letter you wrote, the meeting you attended and possibly even spoke at, it has been only with each and every one of you, each person speaking uniquely for this park, that now finally allows me to write today with this news.

Briefly, Oakland's Planning Commission unanimously denied the permit for a fenced dog run on the corner of Lakeshore and MacArthur in May of 2012. This denial was appealed to City Council by Emily Rosenberg (ODOG.) This appeal was withdrawn on August 5th 2014, finally releasing Astro Park from consideration as a site for a fenced dog park. We have not updated this site for quite some time as it has taken over two years for this matter to be resolved.

It's been a long haul and indeed a journey for so many of us. But know that it was worth it; that long after we are all gone this park will remain a lovely green splash, a place for children to play, for soccer games, volleyball, or a nap on a sunny fall afternoon. Together we all helped to preserve this special space.

Our gratitude to everyone for joining us on this journey.

Astro Park: Saved, August 5th 2014.

The fenced dog run would have taken away about half of the usable play field and forced children and adults to share what little was left over. Now this park will remain green.

We love dogs, but the corner of MacArthur Boulevard and Lakeshore Avenue is the wrong place for a dog run. Here is a summary of our position regarding the dog park proposed at the corner of MacArthur and Lakeshore.

Views across our beautiful park today.... and the Ohlone Dog Park, held up by the proponents as "what a the Lakeview dog park would be like"

Save Astro Park is a diverse group of concerned citizens of Oakland's Grand Lake area, committed to protecting and preserving the valuable open spaces within the Lake Merritt neighborhoods. We are strongly opposed to the proposed dog run at the corner of MacArthur Boulevard and Lakeshore Avenue, known variously as "Astro Park", "Eastshore Park", "Lakeview Park" and "Library Park".